Legends of Azgil
by drkrogue
Summary: The Azgil region. This region was created by Krom with the hopes that Pokemon from all regions could reside there in peace. Azgil was so successful, it eventually became a sanctuary for Pokemon, enticing even the Legendary Pokemon to inhabit it. Skye, along with several other interesting people journey through Azgil, each trying to fulfill their dreams.
1. Chapter 1

**Encounter**

Skye was dozing off as the Ninetales that was curled around her let off a small yawn. She lazily watched as her Fennekin continued to run across the lobby of the ship. _She never seems to run out of energy_, the trainer thought as she observed the Fennekin's red hood flop up and down with every movement. Skye glanced at the notice board on the front of the ship.

"Just a couple more hours Kallian, then I'll finally be back home," the brunette trainer announced to her drowsy companion. The Ninetales grumbled in response, lifting her black cowl over her eyes. Kallian had never been to Skye's home region before, so she was more excited than she let on. Her associate, however, was anything but calm. The Fennekin was absolutely thrilled to be able to visit Skye's home, and showed this enthusiasm by sprinting across the ship.

A loud metal clamor caused Skye to look back towards the Fennekin. She watched with mild interest as the guy the Fennekin ran into tumbled to the ground, along with the tray he was carrying. The fallen tray had dented the ship's red carpeting. Kallian picked up her head as the scent of dropped berries caught her attention, dropping her hood back down her back.

"Look at what you've done!" the trainer exclaimed, his blonde hair starting to ruffle. "These berries were for my Pokemon! And now they're scattered across the floor!" The trainer shot up and started walking towards the Fennekin, who was now cowering in fear underneath a nearby table. "I'll have to teach you some manners…"

Skye and Kallian let out a simultaneous sigh and stood up, the red pendant around Skye's neck lightly smacking against her chest as she moved. They walked towards the angry trainer and placed themselves between him and the Fennekin. "I'm sure whatever Shadow has done can be easily fixed," Skye said, negotiating with the upset trainer, his blue eyes contrasting with his reddening ears. Skye glanced to the ground where the berries were still strewn about. She started to bend down, picking up the nearest one. "Look I'll help you pick them up—"

She was interrupted by the trainer, who had smacked her hand away. "Don't you dare touch them." Skye's right eye twitched in response.

She stood back up and faced the trainer again, moving her face so that the scar across her right eye gleamed in the light. Her intimidating stare usually caused people to back down, but this guy's anger was clouding his judgment.

"Fine," Skye said, her mouth turning into a smirk. "Then how about a battle to ease your anger?" Shadow was still under the table, but was no longer scared. In contrast, the Fennekin seemed to be laughing. Kallian looked back at Shadow and gave her a small smile.

"Yeah! Now that's an idea!" The trainer yelled. He ran into a room several feet down the hall and emerged with two PokeBalls in his hands.

"Alright, let's do this!" the trainer yelled, throwing out his first PokeBall without any warning. A large Crobat flew out of the capsule, its wings beating fiercely. "Let's go Rexxy!"

Kallian made a move to go out, but Skye put out her hand, stopping the Ninetales. The trainer looked back to the Fennekin who was still under the table. "Shadow get out here and earn your respect back," Skye said. Kallian made a face showing that she didn't believe the Fennekin had any respect from anyone in the first place.

Shadow jumped out from her hiding place, posing for battle. "_POKEMON BATTLE. START_." The announcement came from the PokeDex hidden in the brown bag that hung from Skye's shoulder. Skye took it out and placed it on the table the Fennekin was hiding under earlier.

Shadow gazed at the flying Crobat, waiting for instructions from Skye. Skye could feel her adrenaline pumping through her veins; she loved battles. _Rexxy? Then I'm assuming that Crobat is a female… _"Shadow, use Light Screen!" The Fennekin responded by putting up a transparent screen of light in front of her.

"Rexxy, Air Cutter!" The Crobat made a complicated movement in the air, causing blades of winds to fly towards Shadow. They hit Shadow, but didn't even leave a scratch as the screen of light absorbed most of the impact. Skye sighed at her opponent's weakness.

"Shadow, Double Team!"she yelled, her adrenaline slowly leaving her system. She had thought the other trainer would be more of a challenge. The Fennekin started running rapidly around the Crobat, leaving behind afterimages. The Crobat spun around rapidly, trying to lock onto the real Shadow.

"_SHADOW'S EVASIVENESS ROSE_." The robotic voice of Skye's PokeDex droned on in the background. Skye watched the other trainer's eyes widen in shock. He hadn't anticipated this.

"Rexxy…Confuse Ray!" The Crobat was still trying to lock onto her target, without much success. She sent out an energized ray at one of Shadow's afterimages, which haphazardly went through them.

"_ATTACK MISSED_." Skye winked at the Fennekin.

"Shadow, Bite." The Fennekin leaped out of the circle and wrapped her jaws on the Crobat's head.

"_CRITICAL HIT_" Skye's PokeDex announced.

The Crobat fell to the ground, its wings struggling to move. "_REXXY HAS FAINTED_." Its trainer's face was a mask of disbelief. He recalled his Pokemon to its PokeBall and threw out his next one.

A Golduck appeared before Shadow and Skye. Skye's eyebrows went up, _a type disadvantage, maybe this will get interesting_. "Shadow come back!" The Fennekin acknowledged her trainer's command and ran back behind Skye. "You're up Kallian." The Ninetales elegantly waltzed up to face the water type Pokemon.

"Dippy, Aqua Tail!"

"Kallian, Confuse Ray." The Ninetales shot a ball of dark energy at the Golduck, stopping it in its tracks.

"_DIPPY IS CONFUSED_!" The Golduck stumbled along the ground, bumping into whatever was in its way. It began to cause quite a scene as it ran into a young girl and her mother. The mother scolded the Golduck and smacked the Pokemon on the head. "_IT HURT ITSELF IN ITS CONFUSION_!" The event was extremely embarrassing for Skye's blonde opponent.

"Dippy get back here!" its trainer yelled, embarrassment and anger filling his expression. "And shut off that damn thing!" he demanded, turning back towards his enemy and pointing at the PokeDex. Skye smirked and looked over at the device.

"My PokeDex merely tells the truth," Skye said, shrugging her shoulders. "And I can't turn it off during a battle." This was a lie. Skye could program her PokeDex's system to do anything she wanted, from turning off the battle announcer to filling in every PokeDex entry. She would never do this however, because then it would be pointless to capture Pokemon. The sight of the boy squirming in his boots made Skye chuckle; she had never seen someone so helpless.

"Kallian, Will-O-Wisp." The Ninetales sent out several small balls of dark flames at the Golduck, who was still stumbling around. The spheres encircled its target for a few seconds before striking. The impact left several scorch marks on the Pokemon's skin.

"_DIPPY WAS BURNED. DIPPY IS HURT BY ITS BURN_." Kallian watched with mild interest as the Golduck's status damaged it.

"Dippy, Disable!" _Disable? This trainer is a joke. Even if that move does hit Kallian, it will be useless_, Skye thought.

"_DIPPY SNAPPED OUT OF ITS CONFUSION_." The Golduck faced Kallian and raised its hands, waving them in circles. Kallian could feel her Will-O-Wisp ability locking itself away from her. Skye rolled her eyes at the other trainer's triumphant smile.

"Such an idiot," Skye whispered to herself. "Kallian, finish him with Hex." Kallian could sense her opponent's fear as dark power surrounded it. The Golduck braced itself as the energy struck him. The Pokemon fell to the ground, unconscious as the screen of light that was protecting Skye's team dispersed.

"_DIPPY HAS FAINTED. LIGHT SCREEN HAS FADED. BATTLE IS OVER, SKYE IS THE WINNER_!"

The other trainer recalled his Pokemon back into its PokeBall and fell to his knees. "How…" He looked up hopelessly at Skye, realization starting to form in his eyes. "You're…"

A dinging sound went off, signaling that they were approaching their destination and everyone should head towards the nearest exits. Skye recalled her own Pokemon and walked over to the collapsed trainer. "Azgil would eat you alive kid," she said as she walked by him. She picked up one of the Cheri berries that had fallen earlier and wiped it on her blue pants before plopping it into her mouth. She glanced back at the fallen trainer. "You should really just go back to wherever you came from." As she looked back, she noticed a tattoo on the back of the trainer's neck, it seemed to be in the shape of an M. _That's odd,_ Skye thought as she chewed the berry, _who has a tattoo of just the letter M?_

She walked off the ship and into Holly Port, the smell of the sea mixed with a subtle metallic tint made Skye feel nostalgic.

She was finally home.

Walking on towards the Pokemon Center to heal her Pokemon, Skye didn't notice when the trainer she defeated failed to exit the ship.

As she was walking, she noticed a rather obnoxious boy about her age rapidly talking with some passengers who had been travelling on a ship from Unova. His raven hair ruffled as he moved his head around in complicated motions. A Purrloin was lazily perched on his shoulder, his motions not bothering her in the slightest, and a Mime Jr. was at his heels, mimicing his motions. The passengers were laughing uncontrollably at the boy and the Pokemon.

Skye looked away in disgust. _I'm glad I wasn't on that ship_, she thought.

She entered the Pokemon Center and placed her PokeBalls on the counter in front of the nurse. "Hello, would you like me to heal your Pokemon today?" the nurse asked in a monotonous tone. Skye just nodded her head and went to sit on a nearby chair.

She crossed her legs under the table and began flipping through an issue of _Pokemon Today_ when an annoying sound began to fill the room. She looked towards the entrance and saw the same boy from earlier walk in. This time he was alone, but he and his Mime Jr. were making enough noise for a crowd. Skye's brow twitched in annoyance.

She watched out of the corner of her eye as the boy walked to the counter. His tan skin glowing under the fluorescent lighting.

"Hi! Can you rest up my Pokemon? I think they're kinda tired from the long journey," he exclaimed without letting the nurse say her usual line.

The nurse glanced at the Purrloin, who seemed to be asleep on the boy's shoulder, then to the Mime Jr. who was jumping up and down in an attempt to see over the counter. "Sure," she responded with a small smile, "I just need you to recall them into their PokeBalls."

The boy looked confused. "Sorry, I don't have any of those, can't you just take them and do whatever it is you doctor people do?"

Disgust filled Skye's expression. _If they aren't your Pokemon, what are you doing trying to heal them in a Pokemon Center?_ She distractedly flipped a page.

The nurse's smile wavered as she cocked her head to the side, giving him a confused expression. "I'm sorry sir, are these your Pokemon? If they are wild Pokemon I'd be happy to take them to the back, and you may leave."

The boy just laughed some more, rocking the Purrloin back and forth. "No no, these are mine, I just don't put them in PokeBalls. They just kinda follow me around, you know?" The nurse was at a loss for words.

Skye had had enough and stood up, leaving the magazine open on the table. "Look kid, they're only your Pokemon if they're registered to you. They can only be registered to you if you've captured them in PokeBalls." She didn't know what triggered her outburst, usually she didn't care about other people's problems, but this kid had gotten under her skin.

The boy looked at Skye with his large brown eyes in awe. "Oh wow! I didn't know any of that! Thanks!" He then continued to stare at her for awhile, squinting his eyes. "Say… are you that girl that beat the blonde kid on the Kalos ship?" he asked, walking closer to Skye.

"Um, what?" she said, taking a step back. "Oh that. I wasn't aware that that battle was televised."

"Oh yeah! Everyone was talking about you and how you're the new Kalos Champion! I'm not sure what that means, but it must be pretty important. Everyone and their mothers were crowded around all the television screens on the boat. You shoulda seen it! Some kids were in the back, trying to get up to the front to see, but they couldn't, so they got sad! That's when me and Twisty started playing with them to make them happy!" He continued to ramble on as he approached Skye.

Skye narrowed her eyes. _What's wrong with this kid?_

"Um sir?" the nurse said, saving her. "Sir, I can still heal those Pokemon if you wish." Skye looked around the boy and gave the nurse a grateful smile. The nurse smiled back in response.

"Oh yeah!" The boy said, twirling around to face the counter again. "That'd be great!" He lifted the sleeping Purrloin off his shoulder, causing it to meow in anger, and set it on the counter. The Mime Jr. climbed up the boy's arm and onto the counter, next to the sleepy Purrloin. The nurse took the two Pokemon to the back instead of placing them in the machine where Skye's Pokemon were currently being healed.

The boy turned back to Skye, who was watching the machine heal her Pokemon. "My name's Damien!" he said, putting out a hand. The machine beeped, signaling that the Pokemon were fully healed.

"Skye," she responded, touching his hand just before walking over to the counter. The nurse came out and presented Skye's PokeBalls to her. She placed the balls on her belt behind her jacket, and walked out of the building.

"Wait!" Damien's voiced echoed out of the building. Skye stopped in her tracks and looked back. "You seem to know a lot about this Pokemon thing! Can you show me how to do it?" _This kid is an absolute idiot. He makes that trainer on the ship look like a genius._

"I don't have time for this," she said, walking away again.

"Wait!" Damien grabbed her arm. She spun around and punched him in the face.

"Don't you ever do that again," she threatened.

Damien's eyes widened in shock. He had never heard someone sound so angry at him before. "Sorry," he began, lifting a hand to his face, "I didn't mean to make you angry, I was just trying to get some help…"

"Here's a bit of advice: don't leave your Pokemon unattended." She watched as he realized they were a couple blocks down the road from the Pokemon Center. His eyes widened before he spun around and ran back to the Pokemon Center without a word. "What a moron," Skye said to herself. She continued walking towards the docks, but she couldn't stop thinking about the boy and how stupid he seemed.

Her pendent beeped and started emitting a red light. She held it up in front of her face and clicked a button on the back of it. This caused a small hologram of her father to appear out of the pendent.

"Hey there Champion," the hologram said to Skye, causing her to smirk. "You still in Holly Port?"

"Yeah, I'm heading to the docks now, I just stopped to heal my Pokemon." Skye tucked her hair behind her ear as the wind picked up. She looked around; it was getting dark.

"Well be careful, your sister got in yesterday. She's waiting for you."

"Alright, I should be there in a few hours. The boat to the Isle is already docked," she said as the ships came into view.

"Ok, see you soon Skye," he said before cutting the connection.

Skye smiled as she clicked the same button to turn off the signal. She reached the ferry that would take her to Deus Isle. There were several people on board—a couple workers and a few trainers that had come to challenge the Elite Four. She showed the workers her ID to prove she was a resident of Deus Isle. They nodded in acknowledgement and allowed her passage onto the boat. She stood outside rather than waiting in the lobby. She leaned on the railings and looked out onto the water; a couple of Magikarp lazily floated by. She smiled at them before she closed her eyes and enjoyed the cool night breeze on her face.

The ferry was starting to leave.

"WAIT!" A familiar screech disrupted the silence of the night. Skye looked over and cringed when she saw Damien hanging onto the railing of the boat several feet away from her, the Purrloin and Mime Jr. clinging to his back. A nearby worker ran over to him and pulled them up onto the boat.

Skye sighed and turned her head away, hoping he hadn't seen her. She could hear Damien and the worker arguing. "Sir, you can only be on this ferry if you have all eight Azgil gym badges or if you are a resident of one of the islands.

"No-I-her! I'm with her!" Damien yelled. Skye cringed again, knowing he was pointing at her. The worker walked over to her.

"Excuse me miss, is this young man with you?" the worker asked in a gruff voice, yet courteous voice.

_He's relentless._ Skye gave the worker a slight nod, not wanting to cause him any more trouble. The man gave her a grateful smile and went back to his post.

Damien ran up to her and started thanking her. It didn't seem like he was planning on shutting up any time soon.

_This is going to be a long ride…_


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **_This chapter was written by the amazing MortalInstrumentals and KaitouKiwi. River and Blithe belong to MortalInstrumentals and KaitouKiwi respectively._

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**New Kids on the Block**

TWO WEEKS AGO

"Wow! Would you look at that?" River said as he stared out the small window towards the open sky. "They weren't kidding when they said that Azgil held every kind of Pokémon did they?" He pulled his bag from beneath the seat, careful not to bother the snoozing Sylveon on his lap. "I can't wait to see what kind of legends this new region holds, what about you?"

Blithe tried her best to imitate the Sylveon on River's lap. If she were asleep, it meant that she wouldn't have to deal with River's annoying antics. He had been staring out the airplane window just a few moments ago, talking his head off, before turning towards the dark haired girl. If only the content outside the window could keep him busy for the remainder of the ride. Yes, it was pretty amazing—all the different flying types soaring outside the cloudless blue canvas. Even Blithe couldn't help but be impressed by this new region they were about to arrive in, but she was never one to give in to River's tomfoolery.

"Blithe," he said. "Are you awake?"

_Just keep your eyes closed and don't say a word,_ she thought.

"Blithe. . . I really think you need to see this. . ." His tone was urgent, but that meant nothing when it came to River. He made the smallest things seem as if it were Prism Tower. "Blithe!"

With a grunt, Blithe turned her head towards her fair haired companion. "What. Is. It. This. Time. River?" she said with no effort to hide her irritation.

"Look," he said, moving away from the small window of the plane, revealing the black tip of some unknown Pokémon.

"Is that. . ." she said as the propelled herself at the window. "It can't be?" This time she looked over at River who had his journal out, his eyes wide with fear.

"I think so. . ." he said, his voice a whisper. "But how? I thought it went back to sleep after everything that happened in Kalos with Team Veil."

Blithe met her friend's gaze with just as much panic. If it really was _that_ Pokémon, then the entire region of Azgil was in grave danger. She had experienced its power at a very young age, and was lucky to have survived. Even the events back in the Kalos region were cutting it close for her. "We have to warn someone. Quick!"

"Blithe?!" River said as he tried to catch up to his friend. "Blithe, hang on a second?! Maybe we were just imagining things. Maybe it wasn't Yvel—"

"Don't even say its name," she said as she turned around violently, almost causing River to collide with her. "River, you know just as well as I do what that thing is capable of. If it weren't for Xerneas back in Kalos, we would have been screwed. And now the whole region is defenseless against it."

"I know, Blithe," he said soothingly. "I know that we need to warn the region, but we can't just rush in. We're—"

"No you don't know, River!" Blithe wasn't one to lose her cool, but there was no time to talk. She felt her Pokéballs squirm inside her bag as they sensed her rising panic. "Your family wasn't killed by _it_, River. You know _nothing_." She regretted it as soon as she said it.

"Don't tell me I don't know how you're feeling. . . Don't you ever say that!" River said before reaching down for his Sylveon and turning away. "Let's go Lottie."

Her face flushed red with anger and embarrassment. Sure, River annoyed her. Their personalities were on opposite ends of the spectrum. She never went out of her way to be kind to him, and she tended to be snarky on most occasions, but Blithe didn't _hate_ River. Watching him storm off, away from her, drudged up buried emotions. She didn't want to be alone, not again, but she couldn't stop the torrent of words that spilled from her mouth. "Fine! Leave! See if I care!"

The stinging sensation behind her eyes intensified, but she held the tears back. She hadn't cried for as long as she could remember. Hands shaking with rage, she turned on her heel and stalked off in the opposite direction of River. She let her boots drag along the ground, leaving Tillandsia City in her wake. She didn't know where she was going, but anywhere was better than here.

Her bag shook violently against her right hip and Blithe grunted, shoving her hand inside the main compartment and grabbing the single Pokéball that was responsible. With the click of a button, the ground was bathed in red light, subsiding to reveal a Phantump. "What do you want, Teagan?" Blithe strode past the little ghost Pokémon, making it chase after her.

Teagan cooed and cried, hovering next to his owner, trying to keep pace with her. With a lot of effort, the Phantump rammed its head against Blithe's leg. Blithe stumbled, nearly falling to the ground. "What are you doing, Teagan? Stop!" She took a second to really look at her surroundings. Trees. Trees everywhere. She'd been so focused on getting away from River that she hadn't been paying attention to where she was. The green light from the sun trying to cut through the leaves calmed Blithe. It was familiar.

Blithe stopped in her tracks, the anger finally dissipating. She was alone, just like she always despised. She sank to her knees, hoping no one was around to see. Why hadn't she just kept her mouth shut? River had always been there beside her, for her, even when she really didn't want him there. He knew her better than anyone else, and she drove him away. "Phan," said a small voice. Blithe looked down at Teagan, watching his red eyes waver. The ghost held its arms out and tried to wrap them around Blithe's arm, but he just phased through it.

"Hey," Blithe said, her voice shaking. She placed her hand on Teagan's head and gave it a solid pat. The sound echoed through the hollow stump, but Teagan cooed anyway, trying to hug Blithe again. She laughed and finally got back to her feet. "Thanks, Teagan. I know everything's going to be okay, but thanks for reminding me." Throwing her long, dark hair over one shoulder. "River will probably catch up to us eventually. But we have to keep going. We have to find someone that will believe me about. . . _it_."

Blithe was being completely unreasonable, but then again, River wasn't being completely fair himself. "What do I do Charlotte?" he said, petting his partner's head absentmindedly. In moments like this, River poured his mind and soul over to the young Pokémon, paying no attention to the hustle and bustle of the city around them. "I know what . . . _that_ Pokémon's done to her, but for her to say I don't understand. She knows what I've been through. She knows about the fire."

"Syl," the fairy Pokémon cooed at the touch of her trainer's hand.

"I know. . . she wasn't as fortunate as I was, but still, she shouldn't have said that. Sometimes, I just don't think Blithe likes me at all."

At that statement, Charlotte looked up at her trainer, her blue eyes hinting at the fact that this was all ridiculous.

"You're right!" River suddenly burst up from the bench they were sitting on. "That's enough self pity for me. We should probably go find Blithe. She's not very good with directions. We'll be lucky if she's still in the city."

"Hey! You!"

River turned to find a man strutting straight towards him.

"You look like you got a lot of spunk in you, kid! How about taking me on?" Charlotte jumped down for where she was perched, slightly intrigued by the turn of events.

"I don't know," River said. "It's a bit too sudden. I should probably head over to the Pokémon center anyways."

"Nonsense! You should be fine! How about we just make it a one-on-one?"

It seemed as if there was no other way around it. "Sure, but before we start, is there someone I can talk to about something important? Actually, it's more of an emergency. . ." It'd probably be a good idea not to start wide spread panic, so River would keep as much information to himself as he could. . . at first.

"An emergency? Well, I'll tell you everything you need as soon as we finish our battle. Do we have ourselves a deal?"

River looked down at Lottie, who obediently awaited for his command. His body thrummed like it always did before a Pokémon battle. "Alright, you have yourself a deal! Lottie, go get 'em!"

Just as the Sylveon jumped out in front of her trainer, the entire city seemed to burst into life. The ground beneath their feet began to shift, and soon enough, both trainers were standing on a makeshift battlefield.

"What is all of this?!" River yelled over the settling mechanisms beneath the street. He and Charlotte studied that new field they were in, a crowd gathering at its outskirts.

"Is this your first time here?" the man said, as he reached inside his pristine suit for his Pokéball. "I'll take your confusion as a yes. Well let me introduce myself." He sent the Pokéball flying with a flick of his wrist. "My name is Aldwin, and I'm the mayor of Tillandsia City. Or as we're better known in this region, Battle City."

The roar of the crowd was deafening as a Flygon emerged from the Pokéball.

"_BATTLE START_," the announcer's voice boomed.

Aldwin didn't even give River a chance to take everything in as he set his Flygon straight for the offensive. "Juliet, let's open up with a Flamethrower."

The Flygon was too quick, releasing a jet stream of flames from its maw. The powerful flames made contact with Charlotte, throwing her at River's feet.

"Lottie get up!" River called over the announcer. The Sylveon got to its feet as if she weren't phased by the attack at all. With a sigh of relief, River called out his attack. "Misty Terrain!"

Charlotte readied herself as a pulse of energy suddenly enclosed the field in a pink mist, muffling out the sound of the watching crowd. "Now we can focus on our battle without all those distractions."

"Fine by me," Aldwin called out. "Juliet, use your Toxic attack."

Juliet flew over Charlotte and prepared to spew purple sludge from is open snout.

"Dodge it Lottie!" But his command was too slow, as Charlotte was doused in the goo.

"Too bad about that," Aldwin called from his side of the field. "You know what they say about Fairies and Poison, they just don't mix well."

River couldn't help but laugh out at his opponent. "Well you obviously don't know too much about Fairy types," he said with a wink. "Shake that stuff off Charlotte and hit 'em with a Disarming Voice."

Charlotte did as she was told. Leaping out of the purple puddle and letting out a startling cry.

"_IT'S SUPER EFFECTIVE_," the announcer's muffled voice called out.

"Misty Terrain keeps us safe from any status condition for the next five turns, and it doesn't look like Juliet will last that long."

The Flygon struggled to get up from the previous attack. "Juliet's a lot tougher than you think, isn't that right, girl?" Juliet spread her wings and let out a powerful cry. "Steel Wing!"

Juliet's wings began to shimmer as it was enveloped by a coat of steel. With mighty flaps of its wings the entire terrain blew away to reveal the frenzied crowd. River and Charlotte glanced up as the Flygon took to the skies and began descending upon them. "Counter with Covet!"

Charlotte charged towards her opponent, a pink coat of energy enveloping her as she gathered momentum. "Syyyyyyyyyylveon!" Upon collision, the Pokémon were thrown back towards their trainers.

Both trainers called for their Pokémon, causing them to rise immediately.

"Let's finish this, Juliet! Dragon Breath!"

River let out a laugh at his opponent's mistake. "Charlotte, end it with Draining Kiss!" An array of pink beams shot from her muzzle at the approaching trajectory. The beams breezed through the approaching indigo flames with ease, making contact with the unsuspecting Flygon.

"Juliet?!" Aldwin called. With one last burst of effort, the Flygon got up from where she lay. One last roar was all she could muster before she plummeted to the ground.

"_JULIET HAS FAINTED. THE BATTLE IS OVER, RIVER IS THE WINNER_," the announcer cut through the silence and the entire crowd burst into cheers.

"You're good, kid," Aldwin said as he called Juliet back into her Pokéball.

"Thanks," River said, completely placated from his argument with Blithe. "If you think I'm good, then you should meet my friend Blithe."

"I'd be more than honored, but you were talking about an emergency before? What was that about?"

"Right?! It's Yveltal, sir. I saw it fly into the region while I was boarded on my flight. You've surely heard the legends?! The region is in dang—"

"Whoa kid, calm down!" Aldwin looked around the few stragglers that stayed after the match. "I think it's best we talk about all of this in private."


	3. Chapter 3

_**Disclaimer: **This chapter was written by the amazing MortalInstrumentals and KaitouKiwi. River and Blithe belong to MortalInstrumentals and KaitouKiwi respectively._

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Grave Encounter

TWO WEEKS AGO

She couldn't see more than a few feet in front of her. First the fog had rolled in, disorienting her, and now the rain was falling steadily. Blithe had hit a fork in the road a little while back, but she hadn't really been able to make out the right way to go. When the plane had landed, she hadn't stopped to get a map or anything. Now she was following Teagan's silhouette down the road, her boots sloshing through mud and puddles. Wherever they were headed, Blithe hoped that she could find somewhere to take shelter before she was completely soaked.

The rain mocked her, falling harder and faster. Grimacing, Blithe picked up her pace, settling into a light jog. "Teagan, wait up," she said, holding her bag close to her chest. The Phantump stopped where it was, extending a small hand towards his trainer. Blithe smiled at her Pokémon's gesture and rubbed it's rough head. "Thanks."

Continuing down the path, Blithe had a sudden urge to turn around. She was definitely lost. There was no telling how long it would be before she arrived at the next town. And then there was River. He was probably still back in Tillandsia City. She should turn back around and go find him, but her pride hindered her. If she wasn't a tough loner, than who was she? River didn't need to know that she leaned on him for support. She needed to stay aloof. She needed to keep going.

Thunder suddenly echoed around her. Blithe grabbed one of the branches jutting from Teagan's head and started running. The rain was coming down in sheets now. Skittys and Lillipups as they say. She could hear Teagan warbling, but she didn't want to stop to put him back inside his Pokéball right now. He probably didn't mind the rain anyway. Sometimes Blithe forgot that he was actually dead. . . Just like she would have been if he hadn't guided her out of Lostlorn Forest so many years ago. "I think I see something up ahead," Blithe said, trying to raise her voice over the sound of the downpour. "We'll duck inside a building and wait for the rain to let up a little."

She'd been right. There was a lone building up ahead, breaking through the blanket of rain. The closer she got, the more details she could make out. Was that a small bell tower on the roof? Was this actually a church in the middle of nowhere? Blithe raced up the stone stairs and leaned into the wooden door. It didn't budge, instead hurting her shoulder. Releasing Teagan's head, Blithe tried to push the door open again, but it wouldn't yield. She pulled on the curved, metal handle, her fingers slipping off. "You've got to be kidding me," she said, rushing back down the stairs and walking around the side of the building.

"Phaaaan," Teagan cried, bumping into Blithe as she fiddled with a window she'd found.

"Give me a second, Teagan. I've almost got this thing open." She pushed upwards with all the strength she could muster, slowly losing her grip on the rotting wood of the window frame. The window gave way, shooting upwards. Gasping, Blithe hoisted herself up through the open window, gesturing for Teagan to follow her. The Phantump floated inside behind his trainer, but continued to stare outside. "What are you looking at?"

Blithe squinted her green eyes, trying to see what her Pokémon was focusing on. The longer she stared, the more unfocused her gaze became. That was when she finally noticed dozens of rosey orbs scattered in the not-so-far distance. "Those are. . . eyes," Blithe said, her voice barely above a whisper. What was out in the rain, watching them? Blithe reached up to close the window, but it wouldn't budge. It was stuck open, giving whatever was out in the rain a clear shot to come in.

Trying to ignore the looming presence outside, Blithe grabbed Teagan and headed towards the center of the church. It was only the one room, the cathedral. Empty pews lined the floor, facing the alter. In the darkness, Blithe couldn't make out what was on the alter exactly, but she could see the outline of a statue. Teagan gave a small cry and Blithe just smiled, trying to do something with the hair that was plastered to the back of her neck. "We won't be here long. We're just staying until the rain starts to go away. I promise."

_BANG! BANG! BANG!_

Blithe's eyes traveled to the door of the church. It had to be the creatures she'd seen outside. They were trying to come in, trying to get her. _Why wouldn't they come through the window?_ Teagan's head bumped against Blithe's shoulder and she pushed the Phantump behind her in an attempt to protect it. "Stay here, Teagan," she said, digging around in her saturated bag for a Pokéball. Hoping it was the right one, Blithe threw it towards the ground. The room erupted in crimson light, leaving a bipedal creature in its wake. "Naomi, get ready for a fight."

The Bisharp took a few steps back as the door to the church rattled violently, looking back at its trainer with wide eyes. It brought its arms up in an offensive stance as Blithe slowly crept towards the door. "I'll open it and then you hit whatever it is with Aerial Ace." Blithe found the long, wooden board that had been locking the door and quickly lifted it up.

_BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!_

The sudden outburst caused Blithe to drop the wooden board back in its slot. _Alright_, she thought. _Just grab it and move it aside._

_ BANG!_

"One."

_BANG!_

"Two. Three!"

Blithe flung the wooden board aside and let the door fly open. Naomi rushed forward, whipping up a whirlwind at her wake.

"Bis?"

Blithe peeked around the corner only to find her Bisharp standing at the church entrance by herself. "Sharp!" she exclaimed, honing her blades against one another.

"There was something there, you heard it too, right Teagan?" But her partner was staring off somewhere else. "Teagan? What are you looking at?" Blithe followed her Phantump's line of sight and immediately called out for Naomi's Aerial Ace.

The Bisharp glided effortlessly towards a dilapidated portion of roof. The entirety of the ceiling caved in, leaving behind it a cloud of dust and soot. Blithe recalled Naomi and reached out for Teagan, but her vision was impaired. "Teagan?!" The lack of response caused panic to rise inside Blithe's chest. "Teagan?! Answer me right now!"

It was only after surveying the dark cloud that Blithe realized she wasn't alone in the room. She was surrounded by the same rosy eyed creatures as before. They had been staring from outside, and she could have sworn they were the same eyes that Teagan had spotted through a hole on the roof.

"Teagan! Light up the room with a Will-O-Wisp!" The dust cleared away instantly as the entire room was lit up just a few feet away from where Blithe stood. A clowder of Espurr hissed at the sudden light and scurried away to a room located at the back of the church. "Quick, Teagan, let's get out of here. We'll find shelter somewhere else." But the Phantump was hovering closer to the ground than he usually did. "Get away! They'll attack you," Blithe said as she approached the slumped figure.

"Phaaan," Teagan cried out. It was then that Blithe realized that it wasn't an Espurr Teagan was tending to, but a Sylveon. Charlotte to be exact. Which only meant one thing: River was nearby.

Blithe's eyes grew wide as she knelt down next to the Sylveon. "Oh Charlotte, please be okay," she muttered under her breath. She placed a hand on the creature's cream colored pelt and felt her body shudder as she breathed. "She's just asleep," Blithe said, relief flooding her body for a brief moment. Rooting around in her bag, she threw out a Pokéball. As the colored light filled the room, Blithe could hear the Espurr in the back room hissing with anger.

A Scolipede blinked slowly as its trainer gathered up its Pokéball. "Ryden," Blithe said slowly, taking Charlotte in her arms and draping the sleeping Sylveon over the Scolipede's back. "Keep an eye on her. Make sure you two stay safe. If _anything_ tries to attack you, use Venoshock." Ryden gave a slow, solemn nod and backed away, moving to stand on the other side of the altar.

Teagan drifted closer to the door the Espurr had escaped through and Blithe followed his lead. "We have to be careful, okay?" she said, preparing herself to open the door. She could hear the scurrying footsteps of the Espurr within as they started to echo her frantic thoughts. _Where's River? Is he okay? Why was Charlotte here? What happened to her?_ "Here we go!" Blithe threw open the door, seeing nothing but the bright eyes of the Pokémon surrounding her. "Teagan, use Will-O-Wisp! Let's light up this room too!"

The Phantump spewed out red orbs that settled along the ceiling of the room, casting a glow down upon the Espurr. Most of the Pokémon hissed, skittering across the floor and even climbing on the furniture, eyes wide and staring. In the midst of all the chaos, Blithe quickly scanned the room for any sign of River. If Charlotte had been in the church, there was the chance that River was too. "Where's my fr- the boy?" she challenged, taking in the sight of the agitated Pokémon before her. "You all did something to his Sylveon, so I'm going to ask one more time. Where. Is. The. Boy?"

Blithe's muscles stiffened and her breath caught in her throat. She tried to move, tried to do anything, but she couldn't. Then the room around her spun, making her dizzy and disoriented before she was thrown into a bookshelf. Blithe collapsed, feeling some of the books from above tumble down on top of her. Teagan was by her side in an instant, trying his hardest to help her to her feet, but his ethereal limbs went right through her.

"River, is that you?" the girl asked, staring at her Phantump. "Are you okay? Did the Espurr hurt you?"

Teagan cooed, his bright eyes sad. Something was wrong with his trainer, and the Espurr had done it. "Phaaaan," the Pokémon shrieked, an orb of green energy forming in the air. Teagan shot it across the room where several Espurr were gathered, causing them to jump out of the way.

The scene before her began to clear up. Who she thought had been River was actually just Teagan. Blithe gripped her head in one hand, using the bookshelf behind her to steady herself. "Teagan, it's okay. I'm okay." The Phantump glided back towards his trainer, circling her. "We have to get out of here and we have to find River," she said forcefully, turning her green eyes on a particularly aggressive Espurr. It's pink eyes were narrowed and the others were grouping behind it. "Are you the leader of this parade? Then maybe you can give me the answers I want."

Hissing, the Espurr leapt forward, claws out. Blithe smirked, feeling confident for the first time since she landed in Azgil. "Scratch? Ha! Teagan, use Phantom Force!"

A violet portal opened beneath Teagan and he dove downwards into it. The Espurr landed on its feet, looking around for the Pokémon that had just been in front of it. Blithe stifled a laugh as she watched it glare at the floor before turning towards her. Its tiny legs carried it forward and it jumped, raking its claws across one of Blithe's arms. She called out, smacking the Espurr away from her, dismayed as it once again landed on its feet. "You little-"

The portal opened up again, Teagan bursting from it, surprising the Espurr from behind. Growling, the Espurr turned on its heel and attempted to Scratch Teagan, but the Phantump tilted its head as the Pokémon's attack went right through him.

Gripping her injured arm, Blithe couldn't help but smile. "You don't stand a chance, you mangy little thing," she said. "If you don't want to embarrass yourself in front of your friends, then you should take me to the person I've been asking about."

The Espurr pushed Teagan's head before narrowing its gaze. The Phantump shuddered, cowering away from its enemy. Blithe huffed in annoyance. "Don't think using Leer is going to make a difference." The Espurr jumped towards her, hissing once more. The anger in its eyes was more than evident. Panicking, Blithe reached into her bag and pulled out a Pokéball that was lighter than the rest. Closing her eyes, she threw it towards the attacking Espurr.

As the Pokéball hit the ground, Blithe opened her eyes, watching as it wiggled and glowed a faint red. She didn't care if she caught the thing or not. Blithe just wanted to make sure it didn't hurt anyone else. As she started to hope that the Pokéball would fail, and she wouldn't be stuck with a crazed Espurr, it stopped moving entirely. "Oh, great. . ."

The Espurrs in the back of the room huddled together, looking terrified. As Blithe took the few steps forward to retrieve the Pokéball, they scattered in a frenzy, eventually pushing past her and running out the door. With lips pursed, Blithe clicked the Pokéball and watched as the Espurr she'd just caught materialized once more. "Okay, _Lilith_," she said, settling on a nickname that seemed to fit the Espurr perfectly. "Teagan would have destroyed you if I hadn't stepped in, so you owe me." She knelt near Lilith and watched as its eyes grew even wider. "The Sylveon you and your friends roughed up, she had a trainer. A boy. Blond hair. Probably had a big smile on his face. If you saw the Sylveon, then you saw him. I want you to take me to him."

Lilith stood still, staring through Blithe. She felt her face flush red and she clicked the Pokéball, once more trapping the Espurr within. "Stupid thing," she said, storming out of the room, Teagan close behind. "He's got to be around here somewhere." Ryden lumbered across the room, Charlotte still laying on his back. As he approached Blithe, a small group of Espurr tried to block his path. The Scolipede dipped his head down towards them and opened his mouth, scaring the Pokémon away with a low moan. "Thanks for watching over her," Blithe said, taking Charlotte into her arms. Ryden nodded as Blithe clicked his Pokéball, calling him back. The Sylveon wiggled in her arms, giving a yawn. "Oh Charlotte, I'm so glad you're okay. I'm sure River's going to be ecstatic."

"River?!" Blithe called. It was nearing dawn, but she didn't want to risk another encounter with those rabid Espurr. Charlotte was still out, but at least she wasn't in any imminent danger—only asleep. "River where are you, damn it?!"

It had stopped raining a while ago, but the cemetery surrounding the old church was still a muddy mess. Teagan flew up ahead, releasing another red ball of flame to illuminate their path. "Tump?" he called out, bringing a smile to Blithe's face.

"River?!" she joined.

A pair of rosy eyes popped from behind a grave. Blithe could still hear the meowling and hissing of the Espurr as she trekked through the abandoned graves. "If you lot even try to do anything funny, I'll stick you in one of these Pokéballs. Just like your friend," she threatened, motioning towards her bag, where she had an entire arsenal of empty capsules. The eyes faded into the darkness with a loud hiss.

"Keep it up, Teagan, you're doing great."

Teagan hovered buoyantly ahead of her as Charlotte began to stir.

"Syyyyl. . ."

"Don't worry, Charlotte, we'll find him," she said more for herself than for the Pokémon. She was really starting to regret where she left things off with him before they separated. "We'll find him for sure."

Something cold and wet wrapped its fingers around Blithe's ankles, causing her spirit to momentarily leap out of her body. "Tump?!" Teagan didn't even miss a beat as he released a ball of energy towards her feet.

"Mmmmnnn," the creature moaned. The Espurrs had scattered from the battlefield, going off into the darks wood that surrounded their home. Blithe almost felt bad for bothering them, but there was something else after her.

"Teagan, use Phantom Force." But before he could even get the portal open, Charlotte hopped into action. She released a startling cry, stopping Teagan in his tracks.

"What the hell?!" Blithe said, her hands blocking the cacophony that Charlotte had previously released. She looked at the Sylveon, who was now nudging at something on the ground with its snout. "What is it, Charlotte?"

The muddy creature rose from its grave. "Bliiiiiithe," it moaned.

"Will-O-Wisp! Now!"

"No! Blithe, it's me! It's River!"

Teagan stared from one trainer to the other, waiting for his trainer's command. "Stand down, Teagan. Everything's okay." Her heart was still making a racket inside her chest. "River, what the hell happened?"

"Oooooh my god! So, so much! You wouldn't even believe it!" he said, wiping away the mud from his sweater vest.

"SoafterwesplitupIwastalkingthingsoverwithCharlottelikeusualandshemademerealizethatIwasbeingdumbandthatweshouldfindyoubuthenIwaschallengedtoabattlewiththemayorofTillandiaCitywhichisalsoknownasBattleCitydidyouknowthatandIwonandItoldhimaboutYveltaland—"

"Hold it!" she said. "You need to calm down, River. I can't understand you if you don't punctuate."

"Syl!" Charlotte added in with agreement.

"Whoops! Sorry," he said with a grin. "Well long story short, I was out looking for you when the rain picked up. A few people claimed to have seen a ghastly looking girl leaving the town towards Route 43, and I assumed it was you. I ran for this church in search of shelter when I got really sleepy out of the blue. The next thing I know, here I am."

"What—"

"Oh! And Aldwin said we need to head over to Deus Isle. It's the best bet we have if Yveltal really has landed on Azgil."

"Who—"

"Here! He gave us passes for the ferry that takes us over to the island. But first we need to head over to Holly Port and—"

"RIVER!" she said, startling Teagan, who had been floating by a grave nearby.

"Yeah?" he said, picking up his Sylveon to perch on his shoulder.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

With another one of his goofy grins, he said, "I'll explain along the way, but first we should probably start making our way to the port. Hey, look! The sun's rising."

Blithe followed her companion's gaze towards the horizon. Despite everything that happened during the day, she was glad that they were back together. "Listen, River. About earlier. . ."

"Don't worry about it," he said, grin plastered on his face. "It's all water under the bridge."

Blithe let her long raven black hair cascade over her face as she smiled to herself.

"Did you make a new friend?" he asked.

"What?" her head jerked up at his comment.

"That Espurr," he said. "It just popped out from your bag."

Lilith stood just a few feet in front of her trainer, eyes fixated on the towering girl. She did her best to remain still, studying her opponent before she could strike. Just as the girl motioned for her bag, the Espurr darted towards the wood.

"Why you little. . ." she heard the trainer say.

"C'mon, River! Help me catch this little pest!" Blithe said as she and her companion began to chase the little grey feline, River's boisterous laugh echoing through the forest as they ran.


End file.
